New Lt. Governor Chosen In NJ, Marking A Trailblazing Moment For State

New Jersey officially has a new lieutenant governor.

On Monday, Gov. Mikie Sherrill named Shirley Emehelu as New Jersey’s fifth lieutenant governor at a news conference in Trenton. The state now has a woman serving as both governor and lieutenant governor for the first time in its history.

Emehelu has been serving as acting secretary of state since the resignation of former Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell, who voluntarily left office amid accusations of sexual harassment and ethics violations.

Emehelu, a former state and federal prosecutor and Yale Law School graduate, previously served as New Jersey’s executive assistant attorney general, the third-highest ranking position in the office. She initially joined the Sherrill administration as acting state comptroller in January.

Emehelu, 48, who was born in Nigeria and moved to the U.S. at 3-years-old, is also the first immigrant to serve as lieutenant governor in state history.

Emehelu will continue to serve as secretary of state and oversee New Jersey’s elections, work experience that Sherrill pointed to during Monday’s news conference.

“It was a big ask – we were barely a month away from the midterm elections,” the governor recalled. “Many leaders would have run the other way. But Shirley ran toward the fight.”

Sherrill, a former federal prosecutor, said she has known Emehelu for more than a decade, including as a fellow working mom at Watchung Elementary School in Montclair, and as a colleague at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.

“As lieutenant governor, Shirley will be my partner in driving down costs, taking care of our kids, and building a government that delivers for all 9.5 million New Jerseyans,” Sherrill said.

Emehelu said that good government is about “prioritizing the people we serve – it's about honesty, integrity and transparency.”

“What makes this state extraordinary is the ordinary people working every day to help their neighbors and uplift their communities,” Emehelu said.

“I’ve spent my career upholding the law, protecting families, and rooting out fraud, abuse, and corruption,” she continued. “As lieutenant governor and continuing my role as secretary of state, I’ll bring that same tenacity to lowering costs, expanding opportunity for every community, and ensuring government delivers for the people we serve.”

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